


Seasons

by thomasjeffersonsmacaroni



Series: The Other 51 [44]
Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Epistolary, F/M, Texting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-28
Updated: 2017-05-21
Packaged: 2018-09-12 22:42:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,158
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9093988
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thomasjeffersonsmacaroni/pseuds/thomasjeffersonsmacaroni
Summary: This was planned as a Leggy fic, but along the way it sort of morphed into Hamliza. There's still Leggy, but it comes a lot later.To be honest, this is more of a me-service than it is a fan-service in that it was fun to write and a bit of a mental break from my other, more complicated/angsty stuff, but it's not very fun, in perspective, to read. If you want good-quality Leggy written by me, check out "Like This." It's the most underrated out of everything I've written.





	1. Winter

**Author's Note:**

> This was planned as a Leggy fic, but along the way it sort of morphed into Hamliza. There's still Leggy, but it comes a lot later.  
> To be honest, this is more of a me-service than it is a fan-service in that it was fun to write and a bit of a mental break from my other, more complicated/angsty stuff, but it's not very fun, in perspective, to read. If you want good-quality Leggy written by me, check out "Like This." It's the most underrated out of everything I've written.

Dearest Mother,

Good evening. How’s Boston been treating you? I know they have a reputation for not the best driving, and I also know how you are behind the wheel. Those two things put together have been on my mind ever since you left.

Our party is today, as you probably know. You have _no idea_ how sad I am that you aren’t with us. Eliza is having a crisis because you aren’t there to give her the hairstyle. You know the one.

And Peggy. Mother, I’m worried about Peggy. She’s been really depressed lately, and whenever I bring up the party, she just nods and goes back to moping. She denies that there’s a problem whenever any of us ask her, but I know. And Eliza knows, too. We’re her _sisters,_ after all. How could we not?

If you could worm it out of her somehow, I would be immensely grateful. You were always better at this kind of thing than me or Eliza.

Father’s calling me. I have to go. I’ll send you an e-mail after the party, and I promise I’ll go into Angelica detail.

Love, your oldest daughter

* * *

Ange,

I’ll see what I can figure out. Just as I got your e-mail, I was about to tell her about the new puppy that my landlady adopted. She’s adorable. I’ve attached a picture.

You three are wearing your usual dresses, if I’m correct, but send a picture regardless. I always love seeing my daughters.

Love, your mother

* * *

Peggy the Young,

Hi! How are you doing? I was just e-mailing to first of all check up on you, and second of all to send you a picture of my landlady’s new puppy. Her name is Snowball (a cliché name, I know, but a fitting one).

Tell me all about your party. I know how you usually love these kinds of things.

Love, your mother

* * *

Mother,

Emphasis on “usually.”

Love, Pegs

* * *

 May I ask what you mean?

* * *

Mother, I know Ange sent you to ask this. You can’t fool me, you know. 

* * *

I’ll be honest with you. She did.

But she said that you’d been showing some worrying behavior, and I’m worried on my own based on what she’s told me. If you don’t want me to, I swear on my cooking that I won’t tell Ange or Liza. 

* * *

Or Father. 

* * *

Or Father. Yes. 

* * *

Thank you. If you go back on this, I’m never eating your homemade chicken ever again.

So the thing is, I’ve kind of been feeling ignored in this family. You know, I’m the youngest, but that doesn’t mean I don’t exist, for heavens’ sake!

Here’s an example. Father was at a business meeting recently, and he was introducing us as his daughters who did that huge charity project around town a while back. And everyone praised Angelica and Eliza as, like, the “charity queens,” and I know they are, of course, but I helped, too. And no one acknowledged that. It was only when Father said, “And Peggy was a huge part of it, too” that everyone was like, “Oh, okay, cool. Good job.”

And I know the Schuylers are a powerful family, so I just _know_ that at the party, all the focus is going to be on us. Except for me.

So I guess that’s it. _Please_ don’t tell the others, I beg of you. I don’t want them to pity me. 

* * *

I’m sorry, Pegs. I genuinely had no idea that you felt that way.

You said you didn’t want pity, so I’m not going to give you any. All I’m going to give you is support.

You are so much more than an “and.” If you were the universe and all that was beyond it, the “and” label wouldn’t even be worthy of being an ant on the ground. Even if you, or anyone else, doesn’t realize it.

You have my love and my vow of silence. Always. 

* * *

Thank you, Mother. That made me feel better. 

* * *

My dearest Angelica,

I’m sorry, but I couldn’t worm anything out of your youngest sister. It seems like she closed off even from me.

Love, Mother 

* * *

Really? That’s a tad worrying. Thank you for trying, though.

All my love, Ange

* * *

Of course. I’ll try again later, but I doubt I’ll get much out. 

* * *

Peggy, Eliza, and Angelica,

Don’t forget to tell me how the party goes. I’m very interested in reading all of your takes on the event. 

* * *

[on the fridge of the Mulligan/Laurens/Hamilton/Lafayette apartment]

We still on for the Schuyler party? –Ham

I think so, unless we have other, more urgent plans –Mulled Wine

Yep –Lard

I think so, also why didn’t anyone buy soda or at least tell me we were out? –Baguette

Whoops, sorry –Ham

Sorry doesn’t bring our soda back, Alex –Baguette

Come out here and fight me instead of writing passive-aggressive notes on the fridge –Ham

* * *

Wait, where’d the note go? I was enjoying this –Lard

I took it down on accident, sorry John –Mulled Wine

We have to leave in like 5 mins, we can continue this later –Baguette 

* * *

Aaron to Alex: are you going to the Schuyler party?

Alex to Aaron: Yep, you?

Aaron to Alex: Yeah, with my gf Theodosia, can’t wait to see you there :)

Alex to Aaron: And I can’t wait to see your gf ;)

Aaron to Alex: she’s 100% taken, sorry pal ;)

Aaron to Alex: Schuyler sisters are up for grabs, if one of them by any miracle manages to like you

Alex to Aaron: “if”

Aaron to Alex: yep 

* * *

[on a note passed between the sisters as they sit in the waiting room and watch the guests arrive, **Angelica,** _Eliza,_ Peggy]

_None of them look too impressive so far._

**I know, last year’s were much more interesting**

And single – I know for a fact that at least half of these are taken

**True**

_We have to go, I think we’re being called_

* * *

Peggy to Angelica: Where are you???

Angelica to Peggy: Bathroom, be right there

Peggy to Angelica: Okay, cuz there’s 3 guys I want you to meet

Angelica to Peggy: Already saw them, they seemed like a fun bunch, but I’m not romantically excited

Peggy to Angelica: All right

* * *

Mother,

Oh, Mother, it was _amazing!_ I don’t want to go into Angelica-detail, because I feel like that will just butcher the experience, but I’ll go into Eliza-emotion. I feel like that’s the only thing that could accurately describe this.

At first, I was just sort of hanging out with Angelica and Peggy. They were talking to everyone, I stood to the side and looked around, enjoyed myself, danced. There was _amazing_ music, Mother, and you know how much importance I place on music as an element of the party. I had people dance with me at first, of course, but it was just platonically, like Theo and Maria Cosway and people like that.

And that was lots of fun. But it wasn’t the best part, not by a long, long shot.

The best part was Alexander Hamilton.

I was twirling across the dance floor with Theo and her new boyfriend Aaron when I looked across the room and saw him. He was with three other guys, one of whom I recognized from one of our other parties as John Laurens. And the first thought that went through my mind was “whoa.”

His face seemed as if it were chiseled from marble or something, only a god had breathed into it and made it painfully real. And his eyes were a beautiful chocolaty brown, so deep that I could get lost in them for ages.

_Whoa._

You know how shy I am, especially around beautiful guys like he was. So I found Angelica talking to a group of girls and tapped her on the shoulder.

“One second,” she said to the group before turning around to face me.

“What is it?”

“There’s a hot guy over there. Can you talk to him for me?”

“Over where?”

I waved a hand in the group’s direction.

“Which one of them? The short one with the straight ponytail?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay, got it. Wait here, I’ll be over with him in a few.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

And so I waited. Mother, that wait was so painful that I almost died before I even met him. Somehow I managed to stay alive as Ange brought him to me and introduced us.

“Alexander, this is Eliza Schuyler, my sister. Eliza, this is Alexander Hamilton.”

“Pleasure to meet you.” Alexander held out his hand, and I shook it.

Angelica hugged me as she walked away, faking casualness. But then, she whispered into my ear.

“My work here is done. The wooing is up to you.”

“I’ll do my best,” I whispered back.

And I did. Alexander was overflowing with words, but it definitely seemed like he shut them off in certain places to let me speak. You know how much I love people who do that? A lot.

And at the end of the night, when his friends came up to him and told him that they had to leave, he asked me two things.

Number one: could he have my phone so he could put his number in?

And number two: would I go on a date with him to the light show in Central Park? Because I mentioned that I wanted to see it, and he wanted to see it too, and it would be nice for us to see it together, and he’s sorry if this is too forward, but he’s been talking to me over the night, and he likes me a lot.

I said yes to both, and when he left, I felt like I could run around the room and shake everyone’s shoulders with excitement.

Angelica asked me how it went, and all I could do was hug her tightly.

So that’s how _my_ evening went, Mother, and I think it was the best evening of my life.

Love, so much love that I don’t think little me can take it, Eliza

* * *

On a scale of ten to ten, how much did Eliza gush about Alexander in her e-mail?

Not that I’m complaining or anything. They seem like a great match, and Alexander seems like a great guy. When Eliza gave me his number, we talked for, like, hours about Disney. And any man who likes Disney is in my eyes a good man.

No one is too old for Disney, Mother. Fight me.

Anyway, my evening was pretty okay. I actually wasn’t ignored as much as I thought I would be. I spent a huge chunk of the party talking to Alexander’s three friends while Alexander talked to Eliza.

They seemed like a fun bunch, and we became friends on the spot. All of them liked Disney. See, Mother, I’m not the only one!

I was thinking about introducing them to Ange, but she had already met them, as she told me. But she did come out and join our conversation.

Here’s the thing, though, Mother. She seemed distant and far away, as if something had happened between the moment she entered the bathroom and the moment she exited it. I asked her if she was okay, and she said everything was fine, but it wasn’t. I could tell.

So, yeah. It was a fun time. I liked it.

Peggo 

* * *

You asked for Angelica-detail, and I’ll give you Angelica-detail.

I was wearing my usual dress, which was comforting, and the way the silk flowed against my legs made me feel light and carefree.

Eliza, Peggy, and I followed the pattern that we usually follow during parties, which is that we stuck together at the beginning, then split up to divide and conquer. Pegs went to the food, ‘Liza went off to dance with her friends, and I moved around to “entertain the guests,” which you know really means that I add new people to the database.

The guys were pretty unimpressive. Some of them were the very epitome of fuckboys. One of them had suspiciously fuzzy socks, and I would be willing to bet _money_ that they were Nike. I’d hate to see them with their snapbacks and hoverboards and “haha and then what”s outside of the safe space that is the formal setting.

The girls were pretty cool, though, so I was basically walking around the room and chatting and testing my gaydar. It seemed like the usual, though: either straight or taken. Or both.

I was chatting with a group of lovely ladies when I felt a tap on my shoulder, turned around, and saw Eliza wringing her hands and looking up at me. Her eyes were shining, and she had a nervous smile on her face, and I had seen her high school crushes enough times to know that she was in love.

“What is it?” I asked, despite knowing perfectly well – or almost perfectly well, because I didn’t know the guy – what “it” was.

“There’s a hot guy over there. Can you talk to him for me?”

I was right, Mother. I’m always right when it comes to these kinds of things.

“Over where?” I asked.

Eliza waved a hand towards the door, and I saw a group of gentlemen chatting and laughing. I knew John Laurens and Hercules Mulligan from another party, but I didn’t know the other two, one of whom was a bushy-haired guy in a ponytail and a navy blue suit and the other of whom had straight brown hair, also in a ponytail, and striking brown eyes.

Eliza knew that John Laurens was gay, and Hercules and the other one didn’t seem like her type, appearance-wise.

“Which one of them?” I asked anyway. “The short one with the straight ponytail?”

Eliza _loves_ it when guys aren’t too much taller than her.

“Yeah,” she said breathily. She was so in love, and I was overwhelmingly happy for her. I still am.

“Okay, got it. Wait here, I’ll be over with him in a few.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

I made my way across the room to the group, senses all ready to figure him out. And figure the others out along the way as well.

“Hello, John,” I said. “Hello, Hercules.”

Hercules turned around and smiled. “Angelica, right? It’s lovely to see you again.”

“You, too.”

Hercules faced the two people I didn’t know. “Laf, Alex, this is Angelica Schuyler. Angelica, that’s Lafayette, and that’s Alexander Hamilton.”

 _Alexander Hamilton._ So that was Eliza’s hottie.

He _was_ hot, I granted her that. And he seemed to be aware of his hotness and flaunted it, using it to his advantage and expecting it to throw me off. But that wasn’t why I was drawn to him.

I’ve talked to you before about machines and people, Mother. Most people’s gears turn slowly and rarely, like a clock, only focusing on the superficial in the world around them. The people I choose to associate myself with have faster minds, more active machines, what Peggy once called “minds at work.”

Alexander fit into neither of these categories. His mind worked at an impossible speed, those gears and levers turning and spinning and moving, moving, moving. More than anything, I wanted to get into that head of his, figure out what he was thinking, have a conversation and match his wits.

He was sizing me up, Mother. I could feel him undressing me with his eyes.

And I couldn’t stand that. So I stood up straighter, and I looked him in the eye, and I sized him up right back.

He had heard Hercules when he dropped the Schuyler name, and it _showed._ I can’t even remember what we were talking about, but he evidently wanted to get into my good graces, become friends – or possibly more – to have the Schuyler influence on his side.

He himself didn’t seem to have _any_ influence. I had never heard the Hamilton name in any of our social circles, and he had a kind of nervous attitude when he looked down at his clothes, shrinking into himself as if he wanted to cover them up.

Not that that mattered in this day and age. I’m not a gold digger, I promise you.

But Eliza was waiting for me to bring her a man. And I was ready to deliver.

“Alexander,” I said, cutting short our conversation, “there’s someone I want you to meet.”

Eliza would be intimidated by the presence of the other three, I knew, so I shot them a pointed glance, and they nodded and separated from us. Lafayette clapped Alexander on the shoulder and whispered something into his ear that I couldn’t make out.

I led Alexander over to where Eliza was waiting and introduced them. They shook hands, both smiling, and I knew that they would get along perfectly. I knew, as I walked away and to the bathroom, that I had made the right decision.

And, Mother, as I paint this mental image inside of your head of a budding romance happening behind me as I look around but do not see and listen to the party but do not hear it, you can tell that there is a huge chunk of the story that I am leaving out. I think that you can guess what it is.

Please don’t tell anyone. You kept that promise for Peggy – did you really think I wouldn’t know? – so I ask with all of my heart that you keep it for me.

I’ll grant you this, though, Mother. I didn’t cry until I was inside one of the four bathroom stalls and leaning against the wall. And then it only took me five minutes to calm down to a reasonable level.

Everything I do is for my younger sisters. Even this.

Angelica


	2. Spring

Mother,

I know that you’re already on your way home, so I’ll be able to talk to you in person soon enough, but I just couldn’t wait to tell you about my first date with Alexander Hamilton.

I already said that it was during that light show in Central Park on Saturday. This was such a rare occasion, and I was enjoying it with a boy I barely knew. Like one does.

Anyway, when he picked me up in his friend’s car (he told me that it was his friend’s a little later over dinner), he actually parked it and went up to the door to knock. Angelica was there, and she was the one who answered, greeting him with a “hello” and some small talk as she led him over to where Peggy and I were anxiously playing cards in the living room. I was already dressed in a grayish shirt and jeans, and my hair and makeup were done. The “anxious” part was why Peggy challenged me to beat her at a simple game of War to help me get my mind off of what was about to happen.

Alex was dressed in a plaid shirt and khakis, and his outfit suited him perfectly. I said goodbye to my sisters, they pulled me into a group hug, and then I was on my way.

I had brought my purse, which contained my wallet, my phone, my hairbrush, a tube of lipstick, a small mirror, and – by Angelica’s persuasion – a small bottle of pepper spray.

“Just in case,” she hummed as she put it into my purse. “Better safe than sorry.”

I didn’t think I would need it, but I reluctantly obliged.

Anyway. I sat in the front passenger seat, and as he drove, we chatted. He told me about how he was a lawyer who also had a major in accounting, and I told him about how I had founded and now owned the Graham Windham orphanage.

He was impressed by that. He told me that he was an orphan himself, and it always made him happy when young orphan children were given a home and a voice.

“You should invite me to help out sometime,” he said as we pulled in to the park. “I’m sure the children will love me.”

“I will,” I promised.

That would be nice, actually, Mother. Someday, I’m going to bring him along.

When we got there, there were about fifteen minutes before the show actually started, so we walked around the park and held hands as we looked around at the beauty of nature. The night sky was amazing, so dark blue and flecked with stars and the full moon, lit up by the lanterns that were placed around the park, and when I looked over and saw Alexander looking up at the same view, I knew that this was going to be a good relationship.

We didn’t say much during that walk. But quiet is always good when two people are in love, I think. Certainly, quiet is better than words. At least, it was then.

When the show started, we sat on a bench, still holding hands as we looked at the park. It was breathtaking, so many neon colors setting fire to the night, and Alexander Hamilton was setting fire to my heart.

I’m so pretentious. That’s what he does to me, makes me want to take those black and white pictures and put cheesy quotes on them.

“That was nice,” said Alexander when it was done after a couple of hours. “Is there anything that you want to do now, or do you want me to take you home?”

I checked my phone; it was only 11, and I had told my sisters that I would be home at 1.

“If there’s anywhere else you want to go,” I told him, “then let’s go. I’m kinda hungry, is there anywhere that’s still open?”

“This is New York,” he joked. “What do you think about Chinese?”

“I _love_ Chinese. Do you want to get takeout and then eat it in the car?”

“Eliza, you’re probably the only person I’ve ever been on a date with who was one hundred percent willing to get Chinese takeout and then eat it in the car. Let’s go.”

I laughed as he led me back to his car. My hand found its way into my purse, and my fingers ran along the pepper spray that Angelica had packed for me. Now, I was definitely sure that I wouldn’t need it. Angelica would murder me if I threw it away, though, so I kept it in there, though now it was at the very bottom of my pile of things instead of at the top.

We both got chicken lo mein, and Alexander told me as we were walking back that it was his favorite food. And of course you _know_ that it’s my favorite too. Great minds think alike.

We ate it in his car, and I know it would be a lot more clichéd if we had pop music playing on the radio, but he passed me his aux cord and let me play my music. So I played my Spotify playlist, which as you know has Broadway show tunes, hip-hop/rap, and just pop-y songs in abundance.

And get this: he had a notebook in his hand, and almost every other song, he picked up my phone, looked at the title and artist, and wrote it down. It took him a long time to finish his Chinese because of that.

“Let’s drive around the city for a little while,” I suggested once we had thrown our takeout boxes away. “I’m not supposed to be home for another hour or so.”

“Gotcha,” he said. And so we drove and looked around, and he pointed out his favorite places to be in the city, and I was thinking about how different they were from mine, and how he took notice of places that I wouldn’t even have looked at and vice versa.

When I was walking out of my car, purse in hand, and he kissed me right in front of our front door, it wasn’t even the best part.

As I’m typing this, I’m dancing around my room and playing the Broadway love song playlist. “Tonight” from West Side Story came on just now, and I think it’s accurate.

I really _am_ going mad, shooting sparks into space.

Love, your Eliza

* * *

Laf to Peggy: Want to come over to my house and hang out with me, John, and Hercules?

Peggy to Laf: Sure, let me get my keys and I’ll be right there

Laf to Peggy: Oh yeah, I forgot – dress up as your favorite Disney princess

Laf to Peggy: We’re having a marathon

Peggy to Laf: It’ll take me a bit longer, I don’t have a Tiana costume, I’ll need to stop by Target or something

Laf to Peggy: Cool

* * *

[a note slid under the Schuyler apartment door]

What are Eliza’s favorite flowers? I’m having a crisis –Alexander

Geraniums, why? –Angelica

She seemed really sad because of something, I wanted to cheer her up, but I didn’t know how –Alex

Oh yeah, her orphanage doesn’t have funds or something, so if she doesn’t get them by June 1, then she’ll have to shut it down by the law –Ange

She’s been really stressed –Pegs

I’ll need to help her then –Alex

* * *

[a note attached to a pot of purple geraniums placed on Eliza’s work desk]

Elizabeth Catherine Schuyler,

You are the most perfect of girlfriends and the most perfect of girls. I couldn’t ask for a better person to be by my side. Even if I had a million dollars in my pocket, I couldn’t buy a gift that would mean to you what you mean to me.

My friends are looking over my shoulder as I write this, and they’re all saying that it’s way too early in our relationship to say _I love you._ But I don’t care, because it’s true. I love you, Eliza, most perfect of girls.

Your Alexander

* * *

Eliza to Alex: Thanks so much for those flowers you bought for me, they mean a lot and made me feel that much better <3

Alex to Eliza: <3

* * *

Peggy to Laf: come over to my house and bring the others, we’re binge baking cookies to fundraise for Eliza’s orphanage

Laf to Peggy: be there in a few with baking supplies

Peggy to Laf: honey I have every single kind of baking supply imaginable, you don’t have to

Laf to Peggy: I don’t think so, besides French do everything better

Peggy to Laf: fight me

* * *

Alex to Angelica: everyone else is baking cookies for Eliza’s orphanage, do you want to do something also

Angelica to Alex: I have absolutely zero crafting skill

Alex to Angelica: same, but do you want to like spread the word everywhere

Angelica to Alex: true true, we can write an essay or something

Alex to Angelica: I made a Google Doc

Angelica to Alex: k

* * *

[an e-mail sent by Alexander to everyone in his office]

FUND MY GIRLFRIEND’S ORPHANAGE!

It will be shut down if we don’t get the necessary funds within a month. We have only $500 dollars left to go. You can either donate on their website, which I’ve linked here, or buy cookies from her sister Peggy and our friends, which you can e-mail me about the prices for.

Thanks so much for your help, everyone. 

* * *

Ms. Schuyler,

We are pleased to inform you that as we have received receipts from the fact that you will not be requiring funds, your orphanage will not require a shut-down. Thank you very much for your cooperation.

Michael Werner

New York Child Protection Services

* * *

Eliza to The Squad: WE WON!

John to The Squad: CONGRATS!

Herc to The Squad: YAS

Alex to The Squad: AWESOME! <3

Peggy to The Squad: YAY!

Laf to The Squad: WOO!

Angelica to The Squad: That’s amazing! Let’s all go out to celebrate, drinks on me!

Eliza to The Squad: :)


	3. Summer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> listen i know it's been half a year but i can explain  
> Italics = French bc I don't trust myself with Google Translate and extremely limited Duolingo knowledge

Laf to The Squad: So, I have something to tell you.

Alex to The Squad: I think I know what this is

Laf to The Squad: Okay, so, usually, I go to my Grandmere's house in France every summer, and I take the boys with me. But now that all of you are my friends, would you like to come with me also?

Angelica to The Squad: Sounds good to me! Will we need to fill out paperwork?

Laf to The Squad: Yep, for your visas also. I'll help you with that.

Eliza to The Squad: Sounds good to me! I think we'll have fun :)

Laf to The Squad: Awesome! I'll help you when you guys come over to my house.

* * *

 

_Grandmere,_

_I'm inviting my new friends over when I come over. They're Alex's girlfriend Eliza and her sisters Angelica and Peggy. I think you'll like them._

_Your darling Gil_

* * *

 

_Gil,_

_That sounds lovely. I'll be inviting Marie and Alexandrie. I don't think you've seen little Alex._

_Have you told the girls the secret?_

* * *

 

_Grandmere,_

_Oh, I can't wait to see Marie again! And no, I haven't. I will now._

* * *

 

Laf to The Squad: My sister Marie is coming over to Grandmere's, and so is her new baby daughter Alexandrie. I think you girls will like them both.

Laf to The Squad: Also, come over to my house. I have a secret to tell you.

* * *

Eliza to Alex: What's the big secret?

Alex to Eliza: He'll tell you, but if you want insider info before he does, I can say it.

Eliza to Alex: Yes, please.

Alex to Eliza: Laf's grandma is a member of a secret anti-mafia organization. Actually, she's a prominent leader.

Alex to Eliza: And in her house, she keeps a bunch of documents that can't be discovered.

Alex to Eliza: When we get to France, she's going to debrief us on proper procedures and whatnot. We're going to essentially be secret agents.

Eliza to Alex: Whoa.

Alex to Eliza: I know, right.

* * *

 

Dear Mother,

We finally arrived in Paris. It was quite a wild journey, what with getting visas and our luggage getting mixed up and just generally traveling to a new country, but it was fun.

I can't wait to meet Laf's family! I hear they're two amazing women whom I'll love. And of course, I've always wanted to travel Paris.

I'll tell you all about it when anything else happens.

Eliza

* * *

 

Mother,

I'm sorry I haven't had the time to write to you. We've been doing so, so much during the course of this journey. Spy debriefings, traveling Paris, hanging out with Laf's family...

The Lafayettes are quite splendid people. Grandmere is - pardon my French - a badass who I believe will take down the mafia singlehandedly, and Marie seems sweet at first, but she'll do anything for the people she loves.

Here's an example. We were walking down the streets a little while back, and it was late at night, so all of us were scared. Rightly so, because we got mugged a little later.

I was terrified. The muggers were armed, and it looked as if they were going to kill us.

Marie _screamed._ She fell on them and pummeled them with an intensity, not even caring that she was still weak from her pregnancy, and that they would have killed her - they came really damn close - if the police had not arrived.

She seems to like me. She's always so nice to me, and I love her, personally.

Other than that, it's been fun. We've been going around and soaking in culture, having fun in the summer Paris streets, and ignoring annoying tourists. I've attached some pictures in case you wanted to see.

I have to go now. Laf is calling me, I think. Talk to you soon!

Love, Peggy

* * *

Dearest Mother,

Peggy saved the baby and the country, and none of us have any idea how it happened. All that we know is that she's very severely injured and weak, and she's recovering in the hospital. She should recover enough to tell us the full story in a couple of days.

Love, Angelica

* * *

Peggy,

Angelica e-mailed me saying something about you saving the baby and the country, and about you being injured in the hospital. Are you all right, love? Tell me everything as soon as you can. I love you.

Love, Mother

* * *

Mother,

Everything she said was true. I'm actually typing from a hospital bed right now. Should I go into Angelica-detail?

Peggy

* * *

Yes.

* * *

Mother,

All right. I was never any good at Angelica-detail, but I'll try.

The story begins about three weeks ago, when I was woken up in the middle of the night by Angie shaking my shoulder frantically.

"Peggy," she whispered. "Peggy, we have to get up now. Come on, Peggy, please wake up."

I was tired, so I think I let out a groan of protest and rolled back over so that she would leave me alone. She yanked me up by the arm and put a finger to her lips.

"The mafia is here," she hissed. "We're all sneaking out through the secret passage in the basement.  _Hurry, hurry, hurry!_ "

We ran on our tiptoes, me still in my nightgown because there was no time to change. When we got to the basement, the others were already there, Eliza rushing up to give me a hug when I came in. Marie closed the door - we were the last ones to come - and we all sneaked out and came out to a spot a bit farther away.

And then Marie let out this unearthly shriek. Mother, I'm writing this now, and I can almost hear it. That's how awful it was.

" _The baby!_ " she screamed when we looked at her for an explanation. " _My darling Alexandrie! She is still in the house!_ "

Grandmere's eyes widened, and I swear Laf almost collapsed on the ground then and there.

"I'll go after her," I said. I don't know why I did. Maybe I knew then, but right now I don't remember.

Everyone else looked at me in surprise. I guess they were expecting it just as much as I was.

"Peggy, you  _can't._ " Hercules was the first to protest. "They'll  _kill_ you."

"They'll kill Alexandrie, or take her hostage," I said in defense. "I'm going. I'll be back soon, I promise."

"We don't know that," said Angelica. "Peggy, please stay. Let someone else go after her. Like Alex or John or-"

"Stop arguing, my  _daughter_ is out there!" Marie interrupted, sharp voice cutting through us. "Let the girl go. She is smart, determined, and, 'ow you say, capable. I have little doubt that she will get my Alexandrie and bring her home alive."

"Peggy is sneaky," Alex added. "And strong. And if she's caught, she can pose as a helpless girl going back for her little sister."

I nodded, and eventually, Angelica and Hercules relented.

Marie squeezed me tightly and apologized that she didn't volunteer, but Grandmere had told her not to do anything else dangerous ever since the mugging due to her post-pregnancy weakness. After her, everyone gave me a quick hug before I left, but it seemed like everyone was trying to make it more than quick. And, mother, this is going to sound strange, but when Laf hugged me - he went last - I felt some kind of way. I can't describe it, even now. I don't know.

Anyway. I went back through the basement and exited in the living room, where I had to wait before going up to the nursery. As I was going up the stairs, one of the men stopped me and pointed a gun at my head.

"What's your name?" he asked, and I couldn't respond for the first couple of seconds because I was stunned with fear.

 _I can't be scared,_ I whispered to myself inside my head.  _I'm the youngest, the ignored one, and it's all depending on me, so I can't be scared._

"Peggy," I said, not seeing any purpose in giving him a fake name.

"Where are the Lafayettes?" he asked without skipping a beat.

"Gone to get help. They said someone dangerous was-" My logic here was to scare him, but not to show that I had any sort of plan. It worked for a second, I saw it flash across his face, but then-

"And why aren't you with them?" he interrupted me.

"They bade me stay and guard the home." I looked at him with a definite defiance.

"Well,  _Peggy,_ I suggest you leave now.  _Strongly_ suggest."

So I moved in the direction of the front door, and once he seemed satisfied and left me alone, I turned right back around and ran up the stairs. Distantly, I heard a yell, as if I had been noticed, and then a gunshot, and I felt a bullet fly right above my head and land in the wooden wall behind me. I was unharmed, and even though I felt scared, I knew that I had to keep running.  For Alexandrie. Grab her and run away, maybe through the window-

 _The documents._ The thought struck me like I flash of lightning just as I ran into Alexandrie's nursery and grabbed her, still sleeping, out of the crib.

The Lafayette residence kept a bunch of important documents that, if found, could spell doom for our anti-mafia resistance group. The risk was too great. I  _had_ to get them.

I looked through the closet, gently rocking Alexandrie, until I found a small backpack, into which I stuffed clothes and baby toys. Then, I put the girl into it and zipped it up, leaving a small part open for her to breathe. I would need both of my hands free.

I found a Swiss army knife in what looked to be Laf's bedroom, picked it up, and thought about what I needed to do next.

The night before, I remembered, the documents had been moved to the room that Alex and John shared, which was just below the bedroom that my sisters and I shared. The risk of going down the stairs again was too great, so i went to the bedroom, made a rope out of our clothes, and with great difficulty pried open several floorboards (I didn't think Grandmere would mind too much, considering my circumstances). Then, I shoved a pacifier in Alexandrie's mouth now that she was awake, grabbed the backpack and gently put it on, and held on to the rope, which I had tied to the bedpost, lowering us down into the room. The rope didn't quite reach, so I had to drop down, but I had stopped being afraid by then as I felt on the floor for the ridgy pattern.

The footsteps of the men were approaching, so I knew that I had to be quick. I pried open the floorboard with the ridgy pattern that we had all been taught to commit to memory, pulled it open, and grabbed what was inside, which was a large thick envelope and a cellphone that was 100% charged. I stuffed the phone in my back pocket and the envelope into the backpack, and it was at that moment that the door burst open and the mafia came in.

There were a whole bunch of them, and I shook a bit in terror. I swear, I almost crushed Alexandrie against me in my fear. They all ran up to me, almost grabbing me, but I kicked through the window, burst through it, and ran, ran, ran.

I had scratches all over me. I was absolutely _terrified._ And most of all, I was weak, and I think one of them may have shot me in the leg several times as I was running. But there was only one thought that was keeping me going.

I was the youngest. The ignored one. And _everything was depending on me._

I think I ran for an hour or more before I finally got to a dumpster that I jumped into to hide. It was at that point that I gave Alexandrie a toy to calm her down and used the phone to call Grandmere's number, which all of us had committed to memory.

" _Allo?_ " I heard. And with great difficulty, I spoke.

"This is Peggy. I have Alexandrie and the documents."

" _Peggy? You're alive? Where are you?_ "

"I don't know," I said, chest constricting so tightly I could barely talk. "A dumpster somewhere."

Around her, I heard cheers and gasps of shock. Then, Grandmere spoke again.

"Peggy, hang up and find the app that sends me your location. We'll be there to find you soon."

I did so. And as soon as I did, everything went black.

 

I woke up in the hospital, Angelica and Eliza by my side, staring at me with looks of awe.

"You're a hero, Peggy," Ange whispered. "You know that?"

"No," I said. "I'm not. I just saved the baby and..." I passed out again.

 

I wrote this as soon as I woke up for the second time. I'm still very tired, but when I saw that you wanted to know what was up, I felt an obligation to tell you.

I'm tired now. I think I'll rest again.

Love, Peggy

* * *

Peggy,

That was quite a story. And I'm more proud of you than I've ever been of anyone.

Remember how you told me that you were the ignored youngest? I bet you don't feel that way now. After all, you're a hero. And I love you.

Please e-mail me when you wake up. I want to know how you're recovering. I care about you very much, Pegs. Don't you ever forget that.

Your mother

* * *

[note passed between **Angelica** and _Eliza_ ]

**She feels ignored. I saw that last e-mail when her computer was open.**

_We should make her something. To show that we love her. Get the guys too, maybe._

**Yep.**

* * *

[card left on Peggy's nightstand while she was sleeping]

Peggy,

Angelica is always considered the smartest. Eliza is always considered the kindest. And you may feel ignored now, but you never, _never,_ will be.

Because you are the bravest. You saved not only one life, but perhaps the life of all of France, maybe even the world.

And we love you not only for that, but because you are easily lovable.

Never feel alone, Peggy. Never feel ignored. Because you'll always have us.

_Angelica, Eliza, Alex, John, Herc, and Laf_

* * *

[texts in the boys' group chat as the group was driven to the airport]

Laf: I have a confession to make DON'T SAY IT OUT LOUD IT'S SECRET AND PRIVATE

Alex: Yeah no problem dude what's up?

Laf: So Peggy saved my niece, right?

John: Yeah

Herc: And she was a badass while she did it

Laf: Well I was thinking about it last night

Laf: And I think I'm falling in love with her

Alex: GDSHOGSDOGNHLSDNGOSDFJSD

Alex: TELL HER NOW

Laf: I CAN'T

John: MY DUDE YOU HAVE NEVER USED THE WORD LOVE TO DESCRIBE HOW YOU FEEL FOR ANYONE

John: UNLESS IT'S YOUR FAMILY

John: D O I T

Laf: NO

Herc: YES

Laf: N O

* * *

Angelica to Laf: I was looking over your shoulder. I saw your texts.

Laf to Angelica: I'm sorry, I didn't mean to talk about your sister like that.

Angelica to Laf: No no it's fine :) As long as you aren't using weird sexual innuendos or whatever it's okay.

Laf to Angelica: Okay.

* * *

Angelica to Eliza: Did you see the boys' texts?

Eliza to Angelica: Yeah, I did. Are you thinking what I'm thinking?

Angelica to Eliza: Of course I am.

* * *

Angelica to Alex, John, and Herc: We have to get Laf and Peggy together.


	4. Autumn

Dear Mother,

You're away on another business trip. I know this is obvious, and quite frankly I'm not entirely sure why I'm saying it, but it's true. And I really miss you.

The bad news is that I can't tell you everything that's happened in person. The good news is that I have a lot more room to write it out in person, going once again into Angelica-detail.

It's been quite a wild ride, let me tell you. I don't know if I can do it justice.

Anyway, so when I finally came out of the hospital, we almost instantly went back to the States. It was unofficially decided that we would keep the events that transpired in France, as well as my hero status, in our close group. After all, this whole anti-mafia battle is completely undercover.

It kind of made me sad at first when I thought about how no one would know about what I did. But then I got over it. I mean, I only care about helping the world stay as it is. I don't care about fame or glory. Or at least, I shouldn't.

I went back to college to start the next semester. We celebrated my birthday as a little group, and I invited some of my college friends as well. Everything was just as it used to be.

It was only a little after that that things started to get weird. Mother, I don't think I've ever experienced this before in my life.

To start with, at the end of September or beginning of October (I don't remember exactly which it was), Eliza invited us on a hiking trip. No big deal, right? We love hiking. We do it all the time.

But then, she suddenly cancelled. Something was happening at the orphanage, apparently. Once again, no big deal. Orphanage stuff happens all the time.

Then, Alex cancelled, too, to help her with the orphanage stuff. Then, Angie needed to go on a date with her new girlfriend, Maria. John and Hercules cancelled for reasons I can't remember.

So it was just me and Laf. We decided to go for it on our own, even though we were both confused as shit.

It went normally, though lonelily. (Google says that's not a word, but I don't care.) We went up the mountain, watched the sunset with my head leaning on his shoulder, and then we walked down, some kind of feeling warming up my heart deep inside of me.

Nothing out of the ordinary happened. But when Eliza and Alex came back, she asked me what had happened as I'd something should have.

Then, Angie asked me how I felt about Laf. I told her that I maybe liked him a little, and she told me that she suspected as much, and that I should ask him out.

"Fuck no!" I told her, shocked that she would ever suggest such a thing. I mean, come on. What the heck?

"Just do it," she said rather bluntly.

And yet I continued to refuse. Finally, after what felt like years of this back-and-forth, I asked her if she had set us up on that hiking trip in a failed attempt at matchmaker.

"Yes," she conceded. "And I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that. You're your own woman, and who you date is your decision and yours alone."

"Thank you for telling me," I said. "And I forgive you. It's okay."

Months passed as usual, and eventually, I began to get the feeling that Laf felt the same way about me as I did about him. He showed those signs, you know? And I came closer and closer to actually asking him out like Angie had told me to do.

I brushed it off, though, excusing it as just imagining things. And no other failed matchmaking attempts were organized.

One night in around mid-November, I went over to his house. His three friends/roommates were away, and he wanted to have a Disney marathon and needed someone to have it with. I, of course, agreed, and I brought cooking supplies in case either of us felt like doing that.

We did indeed bake a cake just before we started, and we ate it in its entirety as we watched _Princess and the Frog._ I knew I would feel sick later, but I didn't care. There are certain times when you don't care about many things, and this was one of them.

We sang along to the songs, so loudly that we were sure our neighbors could hear us. And while we sang "I See the Light" from _Tangled_ , something happened inside of me.

I realized that if I didn't kiss him then, I wouldn't kiss him ever. And we were good enough friends that if he didn't return it, it would be awkward.

So I did. I kissed him softly but passionately, and I buzzed inside when he started kissing me back. The song played behind us, slow and gentle, the backdrop to a whole new life.

And a whole new world. Sorry, I couldn't resist that.

That was yesterday. Right now, I'm texting him for the very first time since we made it official.

And Mother, I'm impossibly happy.

Peggy Schuyler


End file.
